One of the things I enjoy least is packing lunch everyday ( I had better get used to since I will soon have a husband who needs lunch and one day have children who most definitely will need lunch).  So this past Sunday I thought I'd help myself out and plan for the week's lunches ahead of time.

So I whipped up my favorite pasta salad which is so simple and easy:
-Pick your favorite pasta ( I used a combo of bowtie and some cheese tortelini)
-Pick your fav veggies (I used yellow bell pepper, tomatoes, & carrots)
-Use your favorite salad dressing or whip up something fun (I used greek dressing thinned with some skim milk and added fat free mayo and garlic)





Then throughout the week you can incorporate the salad into your lunch.  Add chicken one day, make a sandwich or pita and have some salad on the side, add some pepperoni or turkey bacon one day...the list goes on.  And if you aren't a pasta salad fan, you can make chicken breasts and make sandwiches and salads with that instead, or make an egg salad.  Whatever you choose, it definitely helps to plan ahead, the mornings are a little less hectic!

Check out what I picked up yesterday! The perfect finishing touch for our invitation suite and adorable accent for other little wedding projects! Thanks to engaged and inspired!

Only 143 days to go!

I hope you all had a great weekend,  mine was busy but grand.  As you know I'm a fan of Mondays and today is no exception, love the start of a new week! Here's a little Monday morning monogrammed eye candy, courtesy of Leontine Linens.  Enjoy!

• Last week Stella turned 2...yes, she's my dog, not my child, but I can't believe she's 2 already!  Such a sweet little dog with SO much personality:

• Take a look at my almost niece in (part of) her birthday present, too cute!

• I made the pumpkin brownies Tuesday night! I haven't really had much of them I'll admit, but my tasting bite was pretty delish if I do say so.  I'm taking some to ABQ and her Mr. tomorrow so we'll see what they think!

• I'd like the following books ASAP please.  If you know a book fairy, direct her my way.  True Prep, PS I Made This, Mini Shopoholic, Creative Inc., (clearly...I'm very deep.)  

• My first bridal shower is a mere four weeks away--how exciting is that?!?

Happy Thursday!

Wedding shoes have taken on a life of their own these days. Finding the perfect shoe is about as crucial as finding the perfect dress!  Brides use their shoes as their something blue, or to add a pop of color to their look on the big day!  Even photographers realize the importance of the shoes and take care to make this fancy footwear the star of some of their own shots.  My shoes are a traditional ivory to match the dress but I love some of these non-traditional options found on Wedding Chicks (one of my favorite go-to wedding sites).

PS: only 150 days to go!! woo hoo!!

Good Morning! It's Monday and we are officially into late September--Fall is SO close, I can taste it!

Thanks so much to all of you who entered the Garland and Grace giveaway!
The winner is.....


Congratulations! Email me at missmonogram{at}gmail.com with your shipping information and which of the styles shown above you would like and I will pass it along to our wonderful giveaway host: Garland and Grace!

And one last things for Monogrammed Monday, a little monogrammed gift LAS and I gave to Ky and Bobbus last night at their engagement party! How cute it that?

On Tuesday, ABQ and I were fortunate enough to meet one of our favorite blog friends and clients, Stefanie from Paw Prints and Pastry Bags! She and her sweet husband were so delightful! Thanks for meeting with us Stef, it was such a blast :)


Lucky me, Stef was also my partner in the scarf swap hosted by Meredith from Sweet T Family.  She brought me a GORGEOUS scarf that I cannot wait to wear once it cools down a bit (Although as cold as it can be in restaurants and offices, I could probably wear it all year round!)! Thanks Stefanie, I love it!

Good Morning!

Some of you may have seen a link yesterday on Twitter to some of our engagement photos posted by the fabulous Studio 222 Photography.  Becka & Nate were fabulous and I'm so excited to see more of our images soon! Stay tuned to Wedding Wednesday tomorrow for a sneak peek :)

Last week I made the yummiest mac n' cheese courtesy of Gina's Weight Watcher's Recipes.  What could be better than guilt free (ok, mostly guilt free) mac n' cheese?!  Here's a quick run-down on the super simple recipe and a few pictures for you to drool over ;)



Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 cup • Points: 6 ww pts
Calories: 296.67 • Fat: 9.7 g • Protein: 15.8 g • Carb: 34.5 g • Fiber: 5.3 g 

• 12 oz high fiber elbows like Ronzoni Smart Taste
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp light butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth
• 8 oz Sargento 2% reduced fat mild cheddar
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1/8 cup grated parmesan
• 1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs
• Pam butter flavored spray

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Spray a baking dish with buttered flavor Pam. Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large, heavy skillet, melt butter. Add flour and cook over low heat stirring with a whisk. Add onion and cook another 2 minutes. Add milk and chicken broth and continue whisking for 2-3 minutes, until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, add cheese and mix well until cheese is melted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add cooked macaroni and baby spinach. Pour into baking dish. Top with grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more buttered flavor Pam on top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, then broil for a few minutes to get the breadcrumbs golden.


Don't forget to enter our giveaway!! An adorable monogrammed pumpkin: the perfect addition to your Fall decor.

Good Morning!

At this point in our wedding planning (164 days to go), I like to say I'm "collecting things."  With all our vendors secured and many of those large decisions made, I'm in the land of collecting and making copious lists.  As I've shared with you before, Mason jars and milk glass are two stars of our reception show.  So I thought I'd share the pile with you (which is a small sample since most of the milk glass is at LAS' parents house).

I also picked up some materials on Monday for a DIY that will probably have to wait until a little closer to the big day.  Anyone make moss covered letters for their wedding? How do they hold up?

Good Morning! It's back to work after a fabulous 3 day weekend--why can't they all be three day weekends?

Despite a nasty cold (mine), LAS and I trekked up to Tallahassee to spend time with my sissy and naturally, to take in the first FSU game of the season and Jimbo Fisher's first game as head coach.

Our trip began with me freaking out, calmly reminding LAS that his parent's car (which we were driving) had paraphernalia from the other school on the back.  Well, you can imagine my reluctance to roll into my hometown sporting any orange and blue.  So LAS, quick on his feet, took care of business:

I hope you have a relaxing Labor Day! I can't believe it's September and summer is nearly over!  I'm hoping to catch a few rays today before heading back to work tomorrow.  And just as an FYI, like many of my twitter friends and bff ABQ, I'll be sporting white pants and jeans long after today, because frankly, I live in Florida and it will continue to feel like summer until at least Halloween, if not Thanksgiving.


Next Monday we'll resume Monogrammed Monday and we have a giveaway from our featured friend! Get excited :)